Vacation Ideas

Find many vacation ideas BY REGION; see also Winter Vacations, and ideas for Spring Break 2007.

^{Northeast & Mid-Adlantic  |  Caribbean | Mexico & Central America| Hawaii | Florida | Southeast US | Heartland & Southwest | California/Northwest/North | Canada | Europe}

1) Vacation Ideas - Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Winter, spring, summer, and fall: this region has so much to offer families. Find great places in NYC with kids; family resorts with extensive kids' programs, in New York state, Vermont, and more; family-friendly classic hotels; Hershey PA; resorts with indoor waterpark; Colonial Williamsburg, in VA...

2) Caribbean Caribbean resorts are hugely popular with families, not only during high season January. to April, but year-round. Find top resorts for families; all-inclusives in Jamaica, the DR, St. Lucia; tips for family trips to the USVI, DR, Barbados; and more.

3)   Mexico (& Central America) Mexico is another popular place for all-inclusive beach resorts. Popular areas include Cancun, on the Caribbean sea; the Riviera Maya south of Cancun (- a terrific area for outings, with Mayan ruins, coral reef, unique eco-theme park, caves, and more); and Los Cabos, on the west side of Mexico. Belize, meanwhile, has family-friendly "jungle lodges" and beach resorts.

4) Hawaii Hawaii remains a destination of legendary beauty and unique culture. Families won't find the all-inclusives of the Caribbean, but will find many resorts that welcome families with kids' programs and special activities. Many are deluxe, but value-priced options can be found as well.

5)Florida Orlando, of course, is the family vacation mecca of the universe: a triumph, considering it's an hour's drive from any Florida beaches  (- though artificial beaches and even surfing can be found.) Meanwhile, Florida has many family-friendly beach zones: Amelia Island, the Space Coast, Clearwater Beach... and stand-out resorts such as Disney's Vero Beach on the Treasure Coast, and Sandestin in the northwest.

6) Southeast US Though overshadowed by uber-destination Florida, the Southeast US has vacation hotspots (such as Myrtle Beach SC), renowned beach resort areas such as Hilton Head SC, legendary resorts such as Sea Island GA, and much more. See also a history+fun tour in the South with focus on Memphis and Atlanta.

7)Heartland & Southwest Arizona has great resorts for families, including one with waterpark; in New Mexico, combine learning about Native American culture with fun activities (like ballooning, left); Sandusky OH has legendary coasters and resorts with indoor waterparks; Wisconsin Dells is the grand-daddy destination of indoor waterpark resorts. See also: Salt Lake City skiing in Utah, and lots more.

8) California; Pacific Northwest; North California has some well-known draws for families, such as Disneyland, and the San Diego zoo; Legoland California is another great spot, a theme park designed for 2 to 12-year-olds. See also vacation ideas for the Pacific Northwest; west-coast whale-watching; and Alaska dog-sledding.

9) Canada The dual mountains Whistler-Blackcomb are a top destination, winter and summer-time; Vancouver Island offers whale-watching; Montreal Jazz Festival welcomes thousands of kids; Quebec City is a blast during winter carnival, and you can take a side-trip to an Ice Hotel.

10) Europe Kids are natural-born medievalists: they love knights and castles and tales of old-- and the hill towns of Italy are super places to let their imaginations go. And then there's London with kids, Paris with Kids, Christmas markets in Germany, Adventures by Disney for those who want to do Europe with the kids, the easy way...